


False Alarm

by teasockschocolate



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: F/M, Pregnancy Scare, just some more fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-01 03:58:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13989987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teasockschocolate/pseuds/teasockschocolate
Summary: “Okay, also I’m not sure at all and I won’t be for a little while but…” She dropped her gaze from his. “I think I’m pregnant.”_____or Anne has a pregnancy scare





	False Alarm

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a Tumblr prompt: Anne has a pregnancy scare and she freaks out and tells Lettie and Lettie encourages her to go to Philip and he’s really supportive and it turns out to just be a scare.

Anne sat in the girls dressing room with Lettie, Mary and Sylvia. She’d never had real friends growing up — it had been just her and W.D. for as long sash could remember — and she loved getting to hang out with girls now. On Saturdays, when the troop performed a matinee and an evening show, the girls would often hang out in their dressing room in between shows — gossiping and laughing. Anne had been having a good day — she and W.D. had just perfected a new trick and now she got to spend time with her girl friends before doing the show. Sometimes she marveled at how perfect her life was at that time. She had a job doing what she loved, she had a wonderful man in love with her, and she had a great group of friends in the circus.

Yes, Anne was having a great time. Until she realized that she was late.

She wasn’t quite sure how she realized it — Mary had made some comment about who in the circus they’d sleep with or something, the conversation had turned to teasing Anne about Phillip (a few crass comments made about her flexibility) — but all of a sudden Anne was very aware that she hadn’t bled in six weeks.

“Excuse me,” Anne abruptly stood up and made to leave.

“Oh, Anne,” Sylvia called. “You know we were only teasing you,”

“I know.” Anne forced a smile. “I just want to step outside.”

“Honey, are you feeling okay? You look pale.” Lettie frowned.

“I’m fine. I’ll be right back.” Anne quickly left the room and made a beeline for the exit of the tent, quite literally running into Phillip.

“Hey,” He laughed, catching her elbows.

“Sorry,” Anne mumbled, ducking her head down and brushing past him. “

Anne?” Phillip called, following her.

“What is it?"

“Nothing.”

“Did I do something to you?”

 _Maybe_ , she thought bitterly.

“No. Just leave me alone right now. Please.”

She kept walking and let herself outside, taking a deep breath in the crisp autumn air. Pregnant. Could she be actually pregnant? No, she thought. No way. Anxiety coursed through her veins as she imagined what it would mean if she was. Leaving the circus. Abandoning all she had worked her entire life for to become a mother. Raising a mixed race child who people would harass on the street. And what if Phillip didn’t want the baby? What if he left like Anne’s white father had left her black mother and then Anne would be left left alone — a broke, unemployed, black single mother.

Anne’s knees gave out and she crumpled onto the ground crying.

“Oh, baby,” Lettie knelt down next to Anne, pulling her close. Lettie waited until Anne’s sobs turned into shaky breaths before holding her out at arms length and looking at her.

“I think I’m pregnant,” Lettie’s eyes widened but she was silent. “I’m late and I’m never late and I’ve been feeling really sick, I thought it was just nerves from the new trick or doing more flips or something but now…” Anne trailed off, biting her lip and trying to keep a fresh wave of tears at bay.

Lettie took a deep breath. “Well, you’re not sure, right? So there’s no sense in getting all worried about it. Besides, if you are then this worrying is bad for the baby.”

“Don’t tell Phillip.” Anne breathed.

Lettie furrowed her eyebrows. “Honey, why wouldn’t you want to tell him? Even if you’re not, he’s the one you should really be talking to.”

Anne looked down at the street. Lettie was right, but still. “What if he gets mad?” Anne whispered, her voice shaking.

“You listen to me.” Lettie shook her head and grabbed Anne’s shoulders. “Don’t be fucking stupid.” Anne let out a watery laugh and Lettie continued. “That boy loves you more than anything in this whole damn world. He ran through a burning building to make sure you were okay. He stuck by you when it meant his family cutting him off. There is no, look at me, no way in hell that that boy would leave you. Right?”

Anne blinked and a few stray tears flew down her cheeks.

“Right?” Lettie pressed. Anne nodded. “And besides,” Lettie continued. “You are not going to be alone. Ever. If for whatever crazy reason he ran off, if all of us ‘freaks’ take him on, that pretty little boy would stand a chance.”

Anne let out a watery chuckle and hugged Lettie. “Thank you.”

Lettie stroked Anne’s hair before giving her a gentle shove. “Go find him.”

Anne closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and rose to her feet. On shake legs, she made her way to Phillip’s office. “Phillip?” She called softly, walking in slowly.

He looked up at her from behind his desk and her heart skipped a beat. Papers were strewn around him and parts of his hair stood straight up. His eyes were filled with concern.

“Hi,” He said cautiously.

“I"m sorry--” She started to apologize for blowing him off earlier but her voice broke and she started crying again. _Damn it_ , she thought.

Phillip jumped up from his chair and ran over to her. “Hey, hey hey,” He gently shushed her, pulling her down into his lap in the chair opposite his desk.

She groaned, furious with herself for not being able to make it through one sentence without losing it. “I’m sorry for earlier.” She said into the crook of his neck.

“It’s okay,” He leaned his head against hers. “I was just worried about you. Is everything okay?”

Anne drew back, looking him in the eyes and sighed. “Okay, so first please don’t be mad.”

He frowned. “What?”

“Also I’m not sure at all and I won’t be for a little while but…” She dropped her gaze from his. “I think I’m pregnant.”

He froze.

“Phillip?”

He continued to stare at her blankly. “Oh god, I’m sorry,” She started to get up but he swiftly pulled her back and kissed her.

“How could I be mad at that?” He pulled back and looked at her in wonder. “Oh, Anne,”

“So, if I am, you’d be okay with that?”

“Okay? Anne, of course. God…” He beamed and kissed her again. “A baby?”

“I know,” She found herself smiling, her anxieties melting away. “I don’t know for sure though. I’m just late. It could be nothing.”

“You’re right.” He pulled back, still smiling at her. “How do you find out?”

“I’m not sure. If I am, it’s pretty early. I think we just have to wait for a little. See if I bleed”

“We can do that.” He kissed her forehead. “No matter what though, I love you.”

“I was so scared you’d be upset.” She confessed. She saw a flash of hurt in Phillip’s eyes.

“Why would you think that?”

“Well you know W.D. and I don’t have the same father,” She began softly. “W.D.’s died and a little while later my momma fell in love with a white man. He loved her too apparently, but when he found about me, he left. Didn’t want anyone to know he got a black woman pregnant.”

Phillip watched her with a confusing swirl of pain for Anne and anger towards her father.

“I think that’s why W.D. took so long to warm up to you. Didn’t want me to get hurt like our momma did.” Anne smiled sadly.

“Anne,” Phillip said carefully. “You know….I would never…. I couldn’t ever….I love you so much… I can’t live without you.”

“I know,” She leaned back, her head on his shoulder. “I love you too. I’m sorry for doubting you.”

He wrapped his arms around her, turning his head so his face was in her hair.

_________________

Two days later she got her period.

A strange mixture of relief and disappointment mingled in her chest. She and Phillip weren’t ready to be parents. Rationally, she knew that. They weren’t married, they didn’t have a lot of money. Still, they’d been so excited. With a heavy heart, she went to tell him.

It felt like God was just being mean to her, she thought as she rounded the corner and saw Phillip in the center of the ring with the Barnum girls. Helen hung on his back, her little arms wrapped around his neck, and Caroline was showing off a new combination from her ballet class.

“Wonderful!” He cried when she finished, and she jumped on him alongside her sister. He spun them, the girls screaming wildly and Anne felt a sharp jolt of longing in her heart. He caught her eye when he was spinning the girls and abruptly stopped.

“Give me a minute, girls.” They slid off of him and he walked over to her, his eyes asking a silent question.

She nodded and fell into his arms.

“How are you?” He said gently in her ear. “I knew this was a possibility, I just…”

She felt him nod and he ran a hand down her back. “It’ll happen one day. I promise.”

“Yeah…” She sighed. He pulled away slightly to look at her, and it caught her by off guard just how blue his eyes were. Sparkling and clear and kind. She hoped their child got his eyes.

 _One day_ , she thought, smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> you can see all my fics and send me prompts on my tumblr that's my same username :)


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